Raaga Based Song of the Day #19

Raaga Based Song of the Day: Jao Jao Nand Ke Lala…
Raag Bageshri, Taal Tintal

We have completed eighteen days of Raaga Based Songs of the Day. Our first post in the series was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #1’ and the song was a Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar song from the 1970 Shakti Samanta movie Pagla Kahin Ka: Tum mujhe youn bhula na paoge. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti, Tal Kaherava.

Our eighteenth post or the last post was titled ‘Raaga Based Song Of The Day #18’ and the song was a Lata Mangeshakar song from the 1952 B Trilochan movie Ashiana: Main pagal mera manwa pagal.  It is in Raag Kedar, Tal Kaherava.

This blog has a number of posts on Raaga based songs in Hindi movies titled similarly; for example: ‘The Best Raaga Based Songs in Hindi Movies – Raaga Jhinjhoti – Part II’.

Raag Bageshri is a Raag of the Kafi Thaat and by now all of us know that Raagas of Kafi Thaat are night raagas. The samay for this raaga is madhyaratri (midnight). Bageshri is a raaga that tells the emotions of a woman waiting for her lover. It is reputed that Mian Tansen first sung it in the court of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century.

Tintal or Teental is the commonest Tal in Hindustani Music. It is also the Tal with the most symmetrical structure. The name has come about because of its three Claps (Bhara) as part of four vibhags of four matras each including a wave (Khali); that is Clap. Clap. Wave and a Clap. The number of beats, therefore, add up to 16.

Therefore, the Clap and Wave arrangement is:

clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4

The Theka is

Dhaa Dhin Dhin Dhaa  Dhaa Dhin Dhin Dhaa
Dhaa Tin Tin Naa  Naa Dhin Dhin Dha

My second most favourite song of Lata Mangeshkar is in this Tal. It is from the 1956 movie Basant Bahar and the composer, once again were Shankar Jaikishan and the singer is Lata Mangeshkar. It is in Raag Jhinjhoti: Jaa jaa re jaa balamwa….

A word about the composers Shankar Jaikishan. They are my favourite duo who ruled the filmi sangeet from 1949 (Barsaat, their first movie) to 1971 (when Jaikishan died on 12 Sep at the age of only 41 years). They excelled in various genres of music and made a name for themselves in songs based on raagas. They have won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director a record nine times and made a hat-trick from 1969 to 1971, the only hat trick by a music director. Six of their songs were top songs in Binaca Geetmala, a record later equalled by Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Some of the songs composed in Raag Bageshri in Hindi movies are: Aaja re pardesi, Chah barbaad karegi hamen maloom na tha, Deevane tum deewane hum, Ghadi ghadi mera dil dhadke, Hamse aaya na gaya, Jaa re beimaan tujhe jaan liya, Jaag dard-e-ishq jaag, Madhur madhur sangeet, and Radha na bole na bole re. It would do well to recall that Hindi music directors would be more keen to make popular tunes than to adhere rigidly to shuddha raagas.

I have taken this song from 1962 Amar Kumar movie Rungoli with not just story by Rajinder Singh Bedi but also produced by him. The movie starred Vyjayanthimala and Kishore Kumar. And indeed, one of the reasons that I selcted this song over Radha na bole na bole re, even though the latter composed by C Ramchandra is a much better example of Raag Bageshri, is because of the heart-warming dancing by Vyjayanthimala, the best dancer that Hindi films ever had.

Krishna songs are always most welcome and if the lyricist is Shailendra, which is also the case with Basant Bahar songs, you can expect out of the ordinary.

Please enjoy Lata Mangeshkar sing a composition of Shankar Jaikishan in Raag Bageshri, Tal Tintal, on the lyrics of Shailendra for the 1962 Amar Kumar movie Rungoli starring Vyjayanthimala and Kishore Kumar: Jao jao Nand ke lala…..

Jao jao Nand ke lala tum jhute tumse naa bolungi
jao jao nand ke lala tum jhute tumse naa bolungi
chhodo chhodo mori baiyan tum jhute tum se naa bolungi

kaisa tilak kahan ki mala kaisa tilak kahan ki mala
tan kala tera mann bhi kala tan kala tera mann bhi kala
rahane bhi do bahut jadu dala
jao jao, jao jao nand ke lala tum
jhute tum se naa bolungi
chhodo chhodo mori baiyan tum jhute tum se naa bolungi

anpadh radha sab kuch jane anpadh radha sab kuch jane
tumhri to nas nas pahchane tumhri to nas nas pahchane
kisko aaye muraliya sunane
jao jao, jao jao nand ke lala tum
jhute tum se naa bolungi chhodo chhodo mori baiya
tum jhute tum se naa bolungi
jao jao jao jao jao jao
jao jao jao jao jao jao

We have intended to learn about Raaga based music whilst we entertain ourselves with Raaga based songs. So, lets, once again, take stock of our collective learning so far:

1. On the first day we learnt about the Raaga system devised by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, which is the prevalent system in Hindustani Classical Music and based on ten Thaats.
2. On the second day we learnt about Tal or Taal.
3. On the third day we learnt about characteristics of Raagas that included Swar, Jati, Thaat, Arohana and Avarohana, Vadi, Samvadi and Pakad.
4. On the fourth day, we learnt about Sargam.
5. On the fifth day, we learnt about notations used in Indian classical music or simply Swar Lipi.
6. On the sixth day, we learnt about the Ras (sentiments) that Raagas evoke.
7. On the seventh day, we learnt about various types of Swar: Shuddha, Achal, Vikrut, Komal and Teevra.
8. On the eighth day, we learnt the parts of a composition in Indian Classical Music.
9. On the ninth day, we learnt the names of some of the popular instruments used in Indian Classical Music.
10. On the tenth day, we learnt about the sources of names of Raagas.
11. On the eleventh day, we learnt about why Bhairavi is the first raag to be taught to beginners and also why it is the last in a performance.
12. On the twelfth day, we learnt about Khammaj Thaat.
13. On the thirteenth day, we learnt about Tal Punjabi Theka or Sitarkhani.
14. On the fourteenth day, we learnt about Alap.
15. On the fifteenth day, we learnt about List of Raagas (Raagmala) in my favourite book: Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
16. On the sixteenth day, we learnt about tips for raaga identification.
17. On the seventeenth day, we learnt the basics of Gharana system.
18. On the eighteenth day, we learnt about Filmi Sangeet.
19. And today, on the nineteenth day, we learnt about the commonest Tal in Raagas: Tintal.

There is much more still to be learnt and enjoyed.

Please stay tuned!